Features / 303 posts found
Behind the Crypto Hype Is a Mentality of Extreme Social Change
Ads for blockchain, NFTs and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin seem to be everywhere. Crypto technologies are being promoted as a replacement for banks; a new way to buy art; the next big investment opportunity, and an essential part of the metaverse. To many, these technologies are confusing or risky. But enthusiasts ardently promote them. As a cybersecurity and social media researcher, I’ve found that behind the hype is an ideology about social change: Hardcore enthusiasts argue that crypto will get people to trust in technology rather than government, which they see as inherently untrustworthy. This ideology leads people to encourage its […]
10 Web3 Builders Creating the Future of the Blockchain
What would the NFT space be without coders, developers, and general free-thinking builders? Absolutely nothing, that’s what. Without the creators and innovators of blockchain tech, the NFT space, let alone NFTs and the blockchain itself, would never have come to fruition. That much should be clear to any within the sphere of Web3. Beyond the many digitally-native artists and NFT collectors deserving of recognition, the builders — those striving to make advancements in, or by utilizing blockchain and NFT tech — are worthy of praise many times over. Yet, it remains true that we often glaze over those on the […]
Mayan Warrior: Burning Man Icon Is Driving Change With NFTs
For most, Mayan Warrior is a name that probably inspires images of a distinguished ancient champion clad in ornate tribal garb. Yet, those within the electronic music community or who have had the pleasure of experiencing a Burning Man event will undoubtedly understand the name as belonging to the purveyors of a legendary art car. For more than a decade, Mayan Warrior, a 501c3 non-profit, has perfected its art car to niche specifications featuring a Mexican culture/sacred geometry aesthetic and a sound system that, set up in the middle of the desert, rivals most major festivals. And after years of […]
The 18-Year-Old Who Went From Heart Surgery to Six-Figure NFT Sales
For most of his life, 18-year-old Justin Bodnar, better known in Web3 as jstngraphics, had hoped to become a professional soccer player. But as if to set the wheels of fate in motion, before he could even reach his teenage years, a hole in his heart (quite physically, that isn’t just to be poetic) would put a damper on his dreams and effectively change the trajectory of his life. “When I was younger, I played soccer, basketball, and baseball; but I really started focusing on soccer. But when I was 10 years old, around fifth grade, I had to have […]
5 Unique NFT Use Cases That Will Dominate 2023
A lot has changed in the NFT space over the past year. While in 2021, nonfungible tokens absolutely exploded, in 2022, Web3 saw the maturation of the NFT space fast-tracked thanks to a bear market. Sure, artists still found ways to sustain themselves, and NFT collectors evolved into prominent Web3 builders, but the wild west that was the NFT market cooled off significantly. Of course, this isn’t a bad thing. Far from it, in fact. While numerous investors and influencers quickly became quiet when the million-dollar profits stopped coming in, the NFT space as a whole was propelled forward. Collectibles and […]
FTX Changed Crypto Regulation. Here’s What 2023 Has in Store
There was a time in 2022 when it looked like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) might pull back from its shoot-first-ask-questions-later approach to crypto regulation. After months of aggressively pursuing and investigating crypto exchanges for allegedly breaching existing securities law in the U.S. at the behest of crypto-critic and SEC Chair Gary Gensler, at least one of the regulatory body’s commissioners expressed discontent with how Gensler was wielding the organization’s mandate. While speaking to nft now in the summer of 2022, SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce made clear her view that the body should be working with crypto exchanges collaboratively […]
Next Up: Five Ones to Watch in January 2023
In 2021, a new creator economy was born on the blockchain. Since NFTs took center stage, artists have achieved NFT superstardom, billion-dollar brands have been forged in just a few months, and many lives have been utterly transformed time and again. Yet, the most inspiring thing about the NFT space is the number of artists of all creeds and mediums who have found community and support by embracing this technology. In keeping with our mission to empower creators, we present Next Up — our monthly franchise dedicated to showcasing rising artists. Although the NFT space has changed significantly over the […]
10 Artists in the NFT Space to Follow in 2023
Well, 2023 is finally upon us. Over the next year, members of the NFT space will be looking forward to a vast assortment of new art from some of Web3’s most influential creators. From established artists to the up-and-comers featured in nft now’s Next Up charts, the vast array of NFT smiths on the blockchain has begun fueling their proverbial fires, set to make the next 360-something days count. So to honor the artists that made a splash in 2022 and are poised to conquer the new year, we’ve hand-picked 10 artists, both big and small, that are well worth […]
TV Isn’t Dead. It’s Being Resurrected in Web3
The entertainment media landscape has changed immensely over the past decade. And for new generations (Gen Z and later), it’s still changing. There was a time when kids woke up to cartoons and spent their evenings watching regularly scheduled family-friendly programming, but the youth of the 2020s now take their breakfasts with a side of YouTube and their late-night snacks while binging shows on Netflix. That’s not at all a bad thing, unless, of course, you’re in the television industry. Because in the past 10 years or so, subscriptions to video streaming services have skyrocketed while pay-TV subscriptions (cable) have […]